Garden tool



Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRIN M. BULLOCK, orOAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, nssrenon '10 BULLOCK eAnnnn rooL COMPANY, Aoonronn'rron on aLIronnIn GARDEN TOOL Application filed January 13,1925. s ial No. 2,070;

My invention is a garden tool of the mat tock, pick, or the hoe type, inwhich a blade preferably of resilient metal is secured to the end of thehandle by a U shaped bolt or clamp, the base of the clamp extendingthrough the handle and the stems being positioned adjacent the handleand engaging the outside of the blade and clamping it in position.

My invention is particularly adapted for garden tools requiring a highquality of steel on account of their use and preferably formed on acurve with the concave side of the curve adjacent the end of the handleso that the clamping bolts press the blade tight against the end of thehandle and the resiliency of theblade forms a tight connection which hasa certain amountoof give, or springiness.

My invention will be more readily understood from the followingdescription and drawings in which:

Figure 1, is a side elevation of a mattock or pick illustrating themanner of clamping the blade to the handle and the use of wedges tochange the inclination of the blade.

Figure 2 is an end view of the blade in the direction of the arrow 2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section on the line 33 of Figures 2 or 4illustrating the clamping of a resilient blade by the U shaped clamp andthe use of wedges to change the inclination of the blade.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4:4: of Figures 1 or 3,illustrating the cross section of the blade, the wedges and the clampingbolt.

Figure 5 is a side view of a simplified construction in which the handleabuts directly against the blade and is held by the clamping bolts. I

Figure 6 is a detail of one form of bolt which may be used to form the Ushaped clamping bolt.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 toot, the handle 1 may be of theusual type for the particular tool used and would be shaped inaccordance with the practice for constructing handles for mattocks,picks, hoes,

U shaped clamp 9 which is formed of rod P e a yarms a b se 0 iim hn up-,jmemh 1ar hser ed bef r he lade is -t tached to the end of the handlefor the pur aper ur slt i th We ge mem ers 117 an or other diflerenttypes of garden tools/ T e rve blad 2 is Sh wn f rm w opposite cuttingedges 3 and ,4: and iffound desirable with upturned ribs 5-on each sideof the cent al p rtion :6- T e rib 1. shoul ers be formed o such dimnsihhs s to no s ously interfere with the flexing of-the ,blade rby o han ere after s t t rthanddescribed, or be omitted. inthe interestof nding blad m e exi e- A pa ago o ape tu e '57 are p vided n he blad pa dth proper" i t ce apar wa l proper clamping ,as hereafter described.

- The'bladeis attached the handle by ,a

a ngst m a Sh Wnin Figureltt.

rod is inserted through a" bored hole 12 exe d ng transv r y r sst hanle if am side vto side and the straight-end 13,;is bent r l t the st m11 as in ated i Fi ure 6. 1 If desired astraight rodmaybe used and bentafter being positioned through the han le T hp a dihe tems ll and. C1are inserted through the apertures and 8 in the bla e and cla p d tig t.byhu s 1 o the Screw th eade ends .16 of the -,U h p d clamp- Wedges 17and 18 forming a spacing pose. of securing ,the blade to the handle atan angle thereto "as clearly shown in Figm s l. and -1 will be ;I10ted e1131s '3) that the wedges l7 and :18 have registering a ap rtures .1 pssing he thr ugh whic sh w a cons d able ma gi a spa e .s rroundingstems 1-1 and 152 of stheU-shaped h p me be -9 th t e side Walls f; th

.90 18 lying in. the same pl ne in which positio h Wed mem e s 17 an 18fo Wedg a n it inner f c yin t right a gle t thestems 11 nd, 14: ndii soppo ite iac tapering from l f tofrish form ne a Wed 1.9

tape e von ne side only, the'tapehed side onta ti g a e nd -the eof w thh ihlad :2. Shou d i h de i e to change the angle (if-the blade; 2 withrelation to the handle 1, the change of inclination of the bladewithrelation to the handle may be readily accomplished by Withdrawing nuts15 from the stems 11 and 14, removing the blade and wedge member 18,then turning wedge member 18 end for end and re-placing it on the stemswhich will result in widening the composite wedge at one of its ends andlessening the width thereof at the other of its ends so that when theblade is re-placed upon stems 11 and 14 and the nuts 15 screwed home theblade will assume a position at approximately right angles to thehandle 1. The marginal space provided in apertures 19 will provide forthe angular position of the walls thereof resulting from the turning ofwedge member 18 end for end.

In Figure 5 I show a simpler form of my implement in which the blades 3are clamped direct to the squared end of the handle 23 without theintermediary wedges.

It will be readily understood that by the use of my construction bladesmay be used of very high quality steel, and using a minimum amount ofsuch high grade metal. There is no socket to be fitted onto a handle andthe U shaped clamping bolt may be slightly tightened or loosened tochange within small limits the curvature of the blades. Moreover, by thesingle expedient of inserting wedges or shifting wedges the blade can betightened so as to suit tall or short persons for various types of work.

My invention is not to be confused with blades which are pivotallymounted on the end of a handle and secured in an adjustable position bywedges or by implements having sockets fitted on a handle with fasteningwires attached to the'implement and extended through the handle. My typeof fastening for a blade to a handle may be utilized for many differenttypes of tools and implements, especially such as have relatively thinblades of a high quality metal.

Having described my invention, what I claim is e:

A tool comprising in combination a handle, a transverse opening.therethrough, a U-shaped clamping bolt having its base ex tendingthrough said opening and its'leg portions lying parallel to and alongthe sides of said handle, the ends of said legs being threaded andextending a substantial distance beyond the end of the handle, anapertured concave tool blade fitted over the extending ends of saidU-bolt legs, nuts threaded on the ends of said U-bolt legs for clampingsaid blade in position and means at the end of said handle against whichsaid blade is clamped, said means projecting laterally beyond saidU-bolt legs and adapted to contact with said blade at points moreremotely spaced than said U-bolt legs.

ORIN M. BULLOCK.

